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breakaway

[ breyk-uh-wey ]
/ ˈbreɪk əˌweɪ /
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noun
adjective
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Origin of breakaway

First recorded in 1885–95; noun, adj. use of verb phrase break away
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use breakaway in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for breakaway

breakaway
/ (ˈbreɪkəˌweɪ) /

noun
  1. loss or withdrawal of a group of members from an association, club, etc
  2. (as modifier)a breakaway faction
sport
  1. a sudden attack, esp from a defensive position, in football, hockey, etc
  2. an attempt to get away from the rest of the field in a race
Australian a stampede of cattle, esp at the smell of water
verb break away (intr, adverb)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with breakaway

break away

1

Leave hurriedly, escape, get loose. For example, The boy tried to break away, but his mother held onto his coat, or On the last lap the horse broke away from the pack. [First half of 1500s]

2

Sever connections with a group. For example, It was hard for me to break away from that organization, but I knew it was necessary.

3

Stop doing something, as in She broke away from work long enough to go out for lunch.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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